Adjustable rubber heel



May 18 1926. 1,584,983

A. M. ElcHoRN ADJUSTABLE RUBBER HEEL F'led April 29, 1925 TAE- 1E /2C l E 26 INVENTOR gatentecl May 18, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,584,983 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR M. EICHOBN, 0l' NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOE T0 EVEENU RUBBER HEEL CORPORATION, Ol' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ADJUSTABLE RUBBER HEEL.

Appunti led April 29. 1925. Serial No. 26,628.

This invention relates to resilient heels for boots and slices and has particular ref,- erence to that type of devices commonly known as rotary heels, providing for such adjustment or interchangeability as to insure maximum length of wear for the heels together with a uniformly neat appearance, as well as safety lwith respect to the wearers ankles.

This invention constitutes an improvement over the subject matter of my co-pending application for resilient shoe heels. filed February 20th, 1924, Serial No. 694,003, and the present specification constitutes a disclosure of means to render it impossible for the adjustable or renewable tip to be separated accidentally or unintentionally from the base or fixed portion of the structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cushioned heel tip of molded rubber or its equivalent within which is molded a headed pin for interlocking co-operation with the fixed part of the heel, the molding of the tip being so performed as to provide superior cushioning qualities as well as to insure against accidental separation of the parts.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of one of my improved heels in assembled position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tip shown herein in the form of a disk.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with the tip removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the headed pin molded in the tip, but on a scale reduced from that in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the anchor plate molded in the base, and on a similar scale to that of Figs. 3 and 4.

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail diagrams indicating the correlation between the plate and headed pin, Fig.7 showing the oblique p0- sitionof these parts when being assembled mately the position of the tip while sliding' into interlocking position with respect to the base.

Fig. 10 is a diagram indicating approximate y the manipulation of the disk or tip for normal rotary adjustment, the headed pin remaining in normal interlocking posiion.

Fig. 11 is a detail view showing a slight variation in form of the anchor plate and stop lip.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the invention will be understood as comprising two main parts-the base 1l and the tipl 12. The base may be made of any suitable material, preferably molded rubber, for best cushioning effect and uniformity of appearance, agreeable to the now common rubber heel usage. It is formed to correspond to the usual heel design and comprises a tread portion 13 adjacent to the breast 14 of the heel and formed with an arc shaped shoulder 15 at the rear of the breast. At the center of the curvature of the shoulder the base is formed with a hole or clear opening, the center of which is concentric with the normal rear curvature of the heel.

Secured in any suitable manner to` and carried by the base is an anchor plate 16 made preferably ofsheet metal and preferably molded within the body of thebase. At the center of the plate is formed a keyhole slot 17 and at the smaller end thereof there is formed a bearing seat 18 concentric with the heel curvature aforesaid and also concentric with the hole through the base. At the other end of the slot is formed a lip 19 constituting a stop. This lip may be constructed in any suitable manner, but as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, it is deflected from the plane of the plate. The plate is provided also with a series of nail holes 20, the metal surrounding them being depressed in the direction in which the lip 19 is deected so as to bring the bottoms of the depressions relatively close to the surface of the sole against which the base is fastened,-

at 21 in Fig. 3. The plate is provided also with numerous large holes 22 through which the plastic material passes readily during the formation of the structure in the molds. It will thus be seen from Fig. 3 that the plate is embedded within the body of the ase and except at the open center is prac-i' ticaly invisible even when the tip is removed.

The tip 12 may be of any suitable material, construction, or form, but preferably is of circular or disk shape molded to be slightly convex on the outer or tread surface 12* and concave on its inner surface 12b and of the same diameter as the curved shoulder vportion 15 of the base into and against which it fits normally for use. While the thickness or depth of the disk is substantially equal to that of the shoulder, the convexity of the disk provides a slight extension of the central portion thereof beyond the plane of the tread 13 ofthe base.

Centrally of the tip is carried, as by molding therein,- a pin 23 having an external head 24 and an internal anchorage plate or disk 25. This disk 25 is formed preferably with holes 26 through which the plastic rubber is forced during the molding action, making thereby a stronger union between the rubber and metal parts. Surrounding the pin on the surface 12b of the disk is formed .an annular depression 27 which adds resiliency to the tip and facilitates the connection or disconnection thereof with respect to the base. At 28 I show a collar of rubberv surrounding the pin between the pin and the depression 27 which is formed coincident with the molding operation at which tiine it fills completely the space between the disk 25 and the head 24. By the application, however, of a tool during the manufacturing operation the end of the collar is sheared off adjacent to the head, leaving a clearance at 29 to receive the portion of the plate immediately surrounding the seat 18. This collar 28 of rubber constitutes a cushion giving added resiliency to the tip and serves normally to hold the head of the pin flat a ainst the seat portion of the plate subject of course to the depression of the head into the clear space 30 surrounding the plate slot as Ian incident of the wearers weight coiniii upon the heel.

`or convenience of manufacture and manipulation of the device, the head 24 is preferably circular and the diameter of it approximates the total width of the slot 17 as indicated by dotted linesv in Fig. 4, but

the diameter is preferably greater than the clear space between the lip or stop 19 and theA rim of the seat 18. In other words, inA

the normal position, substantially as shown 3 and 8, one side/ofthehead over- 'F1 liixp t e seat.18, while the, other side thereof jliesincloselorabutt' 4relation to thestop'- 19.5; lts- -fo1l0yvs,= there ore, thatL .whilethe head may be connectible or disconnectible with respect to the plate by slipping edgewise through the slot 17 while ying in a plane oblique to the plane of the plate, by no'possibility can the head be disconnected from the plate while in the normal plane parallelto the plate. Furthermore, the seat 18 prevents lateral movement of the pin in any direction except toward the lip or stop 19, and-hence so long as the head is maintained parallel to the plate it can be moved forward in the direction of the stop only to abut against it or ride firmer behind it. That isfto say, if, while the tip is under flattening compression, the tip and pin be forced forward, the edge of the head would take the direction of the arrow b in Fig. 8, thereby making more positive the interlock between the parts. The edge of the stop is cut or stamped preferably square or at right angles to the adjacent metal of the Stop forming an incline as a result of the bending of the stop as shown, whereby the tendency of the head to interlock more firmly under the stop is increased.

The base adjacent to the tip is provided with one or more lugs 31 extending into selected holes or pits 32 formed in the inner face 12b lof the tip concentric with the pin. Any suitable number of pits may be formed, but by providing eight as shown a substantially uniform wear on the point portion of the tip is assured so that by adjusting the tip around the axis of the pin from time to time by springing it out from the lugs as shown in F ig. 10, and giving it a partial rotation, the heel always presents a neat fiat appearance and the best results to the wearer are effected.

After the base is nailed or otherwise secured to the slice sole as usual as by the application of nails 21 through the holes 20a and 20", the holes 20 registering with the plate holes 20, the tip is inserted as su gested in Figs. 7 and 9, the body of the tip being reversely fiexed so that the lugs 31 will not interfere, and the forward side of the tip will pass into place over the shoulder 15, the head of the pin at this time being in a plane oblique to the plane of the plate so as to pass edgewise through the slot 17. The pin at this time comes into or against the seat 18, while the forward edge of thc disk comes into abuttin position against the shoulder 15, the dis then being adjusted rotarily to make the lugs 31 register with two of the pits 82, the connection is complete and secure and ready for ilse. After a portion of the point of the tip is worn off as indicated at 12, Fig. 10, the adjacent portion of thetip is sprung out and the tip is rotated throughs. suitable anglel tobi-ing the lugs intoother ofthe its when the ,structure constitutes practica y a' renewed'heel. :Thusas shown eight, adjust.

ments may be effected without removal of the tip for the application of a new one.

` clearance afforded for the head 24 therefore is practically the same as already described and the same interlocking effect is realized.

I claim: l. A rubber hefl comprising, in combination, a base, a tip, and means for disconnectibly attaching the tip to the base, said means including a plate carried by one of the parts aforesaid and a headed member carried by the other, the plate having an opening to receive the head when the part carrying it is slipped therealong with the head at an oblique 4angle to the plate, and the plate having stop means to limit and prevent sliding movement in any direction of the headed member in a plane parallel to the plate.

2. In a rubber heel, the combination of a base, an anchor plate carried thereby, a tip for detachable connection with the base, and anengagement member carried by the tip, the plate and the engagement member being provided with correlated devices to effect connection while the tip' and base are moved relatively to each other along oblique planes and are interlocked positively from separation when moved relatively along parallel planes.

3. In a rubber heel, the combination of a basejto be fixed to tl1e,shoe,-a tip for detachable ,connection with the base, and interlocking plate and headed members carried by the first two parts, the plate having a keyhole slot through which the head of the headed member may pass when at an oblique angle with respect to the plate, the head in .interlocked position lying in a plane parand an anchor plate carried thereby, the` plate having a key-hole slot having at one end a bearing seat and at the other end a v rigid stop, of a tip for adjustable detachable connection with the base, and a headed member carried by the tip, the head thereof being projectable through the slot past the stop, while inclined with ,respect to the plate, and into normal interlocking seated position in said seat parallel to the plate, said stop serving positively to prevent accidental movement of the head along its normal plane.

5. In a heel, a base, an anchor plate carried by the base and having a slot forming a bearing seat, a rubber tip, and a headed pin molded in the tip, the head of the pin being projectable through the slot into interlocking bearing position in said seat, a portion of the tip rubber forming a collar surrounding the pin and constituting a resilient cushion, for the purposes set forth.

6. Al structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the collar cushion bears normally against one side of the plate, serving to hold the pin head against the opposite side of the plate, and the plate carries a stop close to the head in the normal plane thereof to prevent accidental movement of the pin from its seat.

7. In a resilient heel, the combination'of a base for permanent attachment to a shoe and having a seat adjacent to its tread, an anchor member secured in the base in communication with said seat, a resilient tip 1member fitted in said seat and adapted to receive the impact With the pavement, and aV pin carried by the tip member remote from its periphery and adapted to interlock with said anchor member for holding the tip member detachably in said seat, the surfaceof the tip member remote from its tread surface being provided with a pit surrounding the pin and the interlocking of the pin with the anchor member being eected as a result of inward distortion of the portion'of the tip member carrying the pin and as a result of said pit formation.

8. In a resilient heel, the combination of a base having anarc-shaped seat, an anchor member fitted in the base at the center of curvature of the seat, a disk-shaped resilient tip fitted in said seat and rotatable there in, a' projection carried by one of said parts while the other of said parts is provided .with a series of pits concentric with thv axis of rotation and adapted to receive selectively said projection, and a metallic pin fitted in the central portion of the tip and having on its inner end a head for positive interlock in said anchor member colncident with the operation of said projection.

In testimony whereof I aflx my signa ture. f

ARTHUR M. EIoHoRN. 

